Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-04

which, if short, bad been o very active
oue-stoTiss of the Soudan and of the sea,
which latter are never without their
chsrns TO lapdsmen.
"Reegte is in con 1rt st the hall,
thought Mplanie $50 why need L look
tor emnloymeni2 But the time may yet
come"
Some weeks of pesce, to her at least,
p1ssed pleasantly on; but even that peace
came 20 au end; and Uncle GrimshaW,
who had been in correspondence with Sir
Brisco at his club, renewed, in all lts Weary
ssmeness, The subject again, one morn
ing when MeJanie came down to break
fast, looking so sweet and fair, her
smooth cheeks Just touched with 2 faint
wildrose bloom, her beautiful hair swept
M from the white nape of her slender
neck, and with all the charms about her
OF that freshness which bears the test OF
daylight, that he might have spared her
annoyance; but ard old man OF
Bircbln-lane wss inexorsble.
"The views Of Sir Brisco and his pro-
Ionged kindness 70 your useless brother
have not been quite purposelees," said he
one day; "and he informs me that ne will
call over again, formally"
"T0 see wh0m?"
"You."
"Good heavens, uncle-again! :"
eyes; and you know well with what
ohisct. Marriage"
"Agsin; to mar his kindness OF most
ungenerous and urgentlemsnly persecu-
ton" exclaimed Melanie, full Of resent
ment.
"Harsh language, MelanIe. He will do
SO st my request and suggestion"
"I thought as much. Il is intolersble.
How often am to say that 1 will not
marry him?"
"Dare you still disobey me?" he asked,
grimly but quietly.
Melanie bit her pink neither lip IN
silence. ALI her hard necessities and
helf-formed resolutions were brought to
the surface again.
"Your brother cannot live always ike q
pauper at the hall; and SO, on returning
here, he goes straight to home for in
curableg-I have sworn it"
"Kind Sir Brisco will never permit
that!"
"His patience may get worn out, too;
and he will not oppose me. Consider bis
Wealth-his high character on one hand,
your own wretched prospects on the
other. How many girls would Jump st
the chance-to use very plain phrase"
$40 you suppose l have no feeling. no
honor, no conjunction, uncle, while on
my finger have the ring"
"Of one you never hear from and may
never see again. But life is too short TO
discuss useless problems!" exclaimed
Mr.. Grimshaw, with intense wrath, while
he ground his teeth and his colorless eyes
actually flashed. "Cease this sentimental
absurdity of yours, please"
"But l suffer, UNCLE" urged Melanie,
interl6cing her slender fingers.
s'ARd do not suffer-" snarled Unc'e
GrimshaW, IS he attacked grilled chicken,
after plate of Curried prawns.
"HoW?"
"Can you ask me how? With the sor-
did difficulties of circumgcribed means
of 8 poverty stricken life"
SIT might be worse" was the
thought of Malarie, as she pondered on
the very little he spent on her, and OF all, |
cut of those "circumscribed MEANS" he
spent upon himself-the luxuries Of his |
club in London, saddle-horse, and many |
other items.
"You live II misery of your own crea-
tion," said he. "The silence OF Captain
'W1ll vel De lully tx pIdlueU
"Explained?" repeSted Uncle Grim
shaw, SO he WINGED perCepibly.
"When he returns, ii not before that,"
replied Melanie, confidently.
"That may or may not be-" said her un-
Gle, doggedly. meantime it looks very
i'll; and the love OF q good man, true
love like that OF Sir Brisco
any girl in England might be proud to
yet you decline it."
81 am not free"
ga word Of your own could free you.
What stands in your way?"
"My promise"
"Fiddlestick, The dream of O girls
Numbered Uncle GrimsnsW. He turned
away, afraid to trust himself to say more,
and lit an expensive cigar.
But lust then be WAS following the bent
OF mis- own wishes and doing Injustice to
Sir Brisco, who was too generous ana
kind by nature to attempt to trade upon
the gratitude OF Melanie for his hospital
ity-to call it py its test name-to her
brother.
And yet the girl could not help reflect
ing that, after being refused, for Sir
Bristo to persist in calling again and sgain
at the cottsge-even atremote intervals
was treating her, if not with discourtesy,
il not with humiliation, as if she had been
d wilful child that knew not its own
mind.
CHAPTER XXX.-DOUBT AND FEAR.
In q preceding chapter, we left DR.. |
Breudon, the vicar OF Stokencross, using |
somewhat sharp language with reference |
10 Horace Musgrave, and threatening to |
proceed to the Emerald Isle, to see that |
TecreSnt young officer personally.
But he did not fiud II necessary, as the
Sc quel proved, either to travel thither or
put his thre%ts in force.
With impetuous Amy, surprise at the
mysterious silence Of her lover had soon
given place in succession to modification,
indignation, and letterly dire alarm. The
former emotion led her to think OK dis
missing him, il possible, from her
but her engagement was too
much 8 settled fact for that yet; and alarm,
sorrow aud disappointment grew and
ranked side OF side. She had loved sud-
denly, too suddenly, perhaps, as her
mother suggested, and found she was de-
ceived; and that her idol, as her father,
the vicar, said, "was but one Of clay,
merest clay, after ALL"
When they had first countenanced the
engagement, pending the dictum of Mus
graves "dear old governor" SIS he called
his father, il came upon the White-haired
vicar and his Wife-but the former more
something of 8 shock, 8